Faculty, Staff and Administrators

Faculty/Staff Announcements from Campus Connection

Open All | Close All

• February 20: Becoming A Better U takes place on March 22

  Thursday February 20, 2025
  

  

  Cultivate a culture of lifelong learning at Detroit Mercy’s Becoming a Better U.

  This annual event hosted by Alumni Relations takes place on March 22 from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the Student Union Ballroom on the McNichols Campus and is created for the entire Detroit Mercy community to expand their horizons within their professional careers and personal lives.

  The cost of this event is $10.

  The schedule of events is as follows:

  Breakfast Keynote: 9 a.m.

  • Addiction Policy: What Actually Works? America’s addiction epidemic has been an unrelenting assault upon all communities–rich and poor alike–and has been getting progressively worse for over two decades. This keynote presentation will help attendees to understand what the different interventions are, how they work, who they work for and how we can make changes in our national strategy to better apply what the data tells us.

  Session 1: 10:15-11:15 a.m.

  • Local Food Sources and Their Local Impact: Learn how locally grown food can positively impact Detroit’s food supply and why it is important to support local farming efforts. This discussion will also provide tips for improving the yield of your own garden.
  • Say Yes to Sustainability: An interactive discussion on things anyone can do in their everyday lives to help reduce their carbon footprint.
  • The Michigan Opioid Crisis — Responding with Narcan: Discover the origins of the opioid crisis and take a look at the latest statistics of opioid overdose in Michigan. You will also learn how to detect a potential opioid overdose and save a life through the administration of Narcan (naloxone). All attendees will receive a free Narcan kit.

  Session 2: 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

  • What is the Meaning of Lent in Catholic Christianity? Ascetic practices are a common feature in almost all major world religions. This session offers you a chance to reflect on the meaning and significance of Lent in Catholic Christianity and help you have an appreciation for fasting, prayer, abstinence, penance and alms giving, which are the main practices and rituals associated with Lenten observance.
  • Staying Active Longer: Discuss the latest developments in effective ways to improve your health and reduce your risk so you can live a healthy, long life.
  • Demystifying AI: Simplifying Tasks and Elevating Your Life: Unlock the potential of Artificial Intelligence to make your daily life more productive, efficient and enjoyable. This interactive session breaks down the basics of AI and demonstrates how it can be used to simplify everyday tasks and bring a touch of fun into your routine. Whether you’re new to AI or curious about how it works, you’ll discover practical tips to harness the power of this transformative technology in ways that matter to you.

  A photographer will also be available throughout the morning to take professional headshots for all participants. Please only one sitting for each.

  The Detroit Mercy School of Dentistry will provide 2 CEU’s for any participant attending both the Keynote and the Narcan Presentations.

  For any questions please reach out to Alumni Relations at 313-993-1540 or alumni@udmercy.edu.

  Register here!

  

• February 20: Call for Nominations: Mission Leadership Awards, due March 14

  Thursday February 20, 2025
  

  

  Many UDM students and employees exemplify the mission of Detroit Mercy as we learn and work together. The Mission Effectiveness Team is once again soliciting nominations for the University’s Mission Leadership Awards — the Vivere ex Missione Award and Agere ex Missione Award.

  All members of the University community — including students, faculty, staff, alumni and supporters are invited to nominate students and employees for the Vivere and Agere ex Missione Awards. You are also welcome to re-nominate an individual who was not selected in a previous year.

  The Vivere ex Missione Award (“to live out the mission”) is presented annually to graduating students who best exemplify the mission of Detroit Mercy. An undergraduate and graduate student are selected from the McNichols Campus, and a Law and Dental student are selected from the Riverfront and Corktown Campuses. This award is presented at the students’ respective commencement ceremony.

  The Agere ex Missione Award (“to do the mission”) is presented annually to three individuals employed at the University — a faculty member, staff member and administrator — who exemplify the mission of Detroit Mercy. This award will be presented at the Spotlight on Excellence Celebration on May 13.

  Nominators are asked to speak to how their nominee fosters four guiding values inspired by the University’s mission: education of the whole person; service that leads to justice; recognition of the sacred in all; and building a community of inclusivity.

  The nomination deadline for the Mission Leadership Awards is Friday, March 14.

  Find out more about the awards, including a list of past recipients, and nominate students or employees at the Mission Leadership Awards webpage.

  For more information or any questions, please contact the co-chairs of the Mission Effectiveness Team, Ashlee Barnes (barnesav@udmercy.edu) or Mary-Catherine Harrison (mc.harrison@udmercy.edu).

  SUBMIT NOMINATIONS HERE!

• February 20: Rocket Mortgage deals for Detroit Mercy faculty and staff

  Thursday February 20, 2025
  

  Check at the latest specials being offered to the Detroit Mercy community through Rocket Mortgage.

  Go to https://www.udmercy.edu/alumni/benefits.php and click on the Rocket Mortgage tab for more details.

• February 20: Submit nominations for Student and Greek Life Leadership and Service Awards

  Thursday February 20, 2025
  

  Do you know a student who went above and beyond this year? Nominations are now open for the Student Leadership and Service Awards and Greek Life Leadership and Service Awards and will be accepted until Friday, March 14!

  An unbiased committee will review all nominations, so please be detailed in your submissions!

  The Student Leadership and Service Awards reception will be held on Thursday, April 10 at 5 p.m. in the Student Union Ballroom. More details will be provided to nominees/winners.

  Awards categories for Student Leadership and Service Awards include:

  • Rising Star Student Leader (First-Year Student or Sophomore): This award is given to a first-year student or sophomore-level student who demonstrates leadership qualities in multiple areas of campus. They consider their community in their everyday decisions and are working for positive change around them. This person may not have a title, but their actions and commitment to the process of leadership are noticeable to their peers and constituents.
  • Student Leader of the Year (Junior or Senior): This award is given to a junior or senior-level student who demonstrates leadership qualities in multiple areas of campus. They consider their community in their everyday decisions and are working for positive change around them. This person may not have a title, but their actions and commitment to the process of leadership are noticeable to their peers and constituents.
  • Titan Spirit Award: This award is given to a student who demonstrates Titan Spirit every day. They love their school, and they are not afraid to show it. Their pride for their school is demonstrated in their involvement, decisions, actions and even the color scheme of their clothes. This person never waivers when choosing to root for the home team!
  • Student Employee of the Year: This award is given to a diligent student who is employed somewhere on campus. This student adds value to the office or department they work in and is dedicated to their role. Without dedicated student employees this campus would not be able to run efficiently. This student is a true model of what it looks like to help keep a workplace moving in a positive direction.
  • Student Organization of the Year: This award is given to the registered student organization that has contributed positively to campus all year. They achieve their organization mission while contributing to the University’s overall mission. They are committed to their members and provide opportunities, initiatives and/or events for campus to see their efforts clearly. This group is driven, excited and displays their positive values.
  • Program/Event of the Year: This award is given to a student or group of students who has hosted a phenomenal program on campus. This program has given students at Detroit Mercy an opportunity to enjoy each other, learn something new or come together for a common purpose. This event adds value to campus and is a positive addition to the campus culture.

  Awards categories for Greek Life Leadership and Service Awards include:

  • Fraternity Member of the Year: This award is for a member of a fraternity who has demonstrated continued contribution to his chapter, the Greek community and the Detroit Mercy campus. This person understands and models their values daily and is a positive force. This person stands out from the community for how they demonstrate leadership, loyalty and commitment to making the world around them better for all.
  • Sorority Member of the Year: This award is for a member of a sorority who has demonstrated continued contribution to her chapter, the Greek community and the Detroit Mercy campus. This person understands and models their values daily and is a positive force. This person stands out from the community for how they demonstrate leadership, loyalty and commitment to making the world around them better for all.
  • Chapter President of the Year: This award is given to a person who upheld the values of their own organization and the University. They communicate throughout the community, promote a positive Greek Life experience and uplift their members. This person supports their executive board (if applicable) and completes all duties in a timely and accurate manner. They exemplify what it means to lead by example!
  • Outstanding Philanthropic Event or Community Service Project: This award is given to the Greek chapter that conducted an outstanding philanthropic event and/or an outstanding community service project that served to benefit the local/national community. The program should have been in the 2023-2024 academic year.
  • Chapter of Excellence Award: This award is given to the Greek Letter organization that has demonstrated excellence in multiple categories, including but not limited to academics, campus programming and highlighting their values. This chapter contributes positively to the Greek Life community, campus community and each other. Even if this group is not wearing their letters, they are consistently demonstrating their values.

  For more information or with any questions, please contact Assistant Director of Student Life Emily Johnson at johnsoem6@udmercy.edu or 313-993-1593. Submit nominations here for Student Leadership and Service Awards! Submit nominations here for Greek Life Leadership and Service Awards!

   

• February 20: Experience the art, craft and science of storytelling with Satori Shakoor, Feb. 25

  Thursday February 20, 2025
  

  

  Have you had a traumatic experience that you have overcome that you’d like to share in order to deliver a clear and powerful message to others? Detroit Mercy and storyteller/artist Satori Shakoor offers two workshops to share tools and help develop the story of your personal journey.

  In session one, Tuesday, Feb. 25 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. in the Engineering Innovation Space, participants will become familiar with the basic tools of the craft of storytelling. Participants will choose a true personal or organization story to tell and identify the purpose they want to fulfill in telling it. This story will be developed throughout the workshop experience.

  Shakoor, a 2017 Kresge Literary Arts Fellow, is the executive producer for the award-winning The Secret Society Of Twisted Storytellers (TSSOTS), which she founded in July 2012 in Detroit. TSSOTS has a global mission to connect humanity, heal and transform community and to provide an uplifting, thought- provoking, soul-cleansing entertainment experience through the art and craft of storytelling.

  Through these workshops, Shakoor provides a platform in the form of storytelling in which to share these stories and give others hope that with patience, love and support, we all can move past our trauma.

  A second session is set for April 9 from 5:30-8 p.m. in Health Professions Facility (CHP), Room 124. Four storytellers will be chosen from session one to develop their stories with Shakoor for presentation in front of an audience at the Bridges not Fences VI: Stories of Trauma and the Road to Recovery event at the University.

  You don’t want to miss this powerful event series. Students, faculty and staff are welcome, and participation is limited to 25. For more information or questions, please contact Assistant Professor of Biochemistry Mara Livezey at livezemr@udmercy.edu. This event is sponsored by ReBUILDetroit.

  Register here!

  

   

• February 20: PRIME Center’s sixth speaker series event features Mike Kaufmann, March 12

  Thursday February 20, 2025
  

  

  Join the Detroit Mercy College of Business Administration‘s Center for Practice & Research in Management & Ethics (PRIME Center) for “Perspectives on Leadership,” featuring Mike Kaufmann, former CEO of the pharmaceutical segment of Cardinal Health. Kaufmann was the 2023 recipient of the Nexus Award for Lifetime Achievement, the healthcare distribution industry’s highest individual achievement. He will share lessons on leadership and advocating for diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI).

  This event will take place on March 12 at 5 p.m. in the Student Union Fountain Lounge on the McNichols Campus. Don’t miss this opportunity to gain valuable knowledge and learn from a respected leader in the field.

  This event is free and open to the public with advanced registration. Refreshments will be provided.

  Register Here!

• February 20: Get moving at afternoon Zumba class on Feb. 24

  Thursday February 20, 2025
  

  

  Looking for a fun way to stay active? Join us for an afternoon Zumba class on Monday, Feb. 24 at 1-2 p.m. in the Student Fitness Center as part of the Go Move Challenge! This high-energy dance workout is the perfect way to break up your day, get your heart pumping and have fun while moving to great music. No experience needed—just bring your energy and let’s move!

  Whether you’re aiming to rack up more minutes for the Go Move Challenge or just want a great midday workout, this class is for you. Grab a friend and come dance with us!

  Sign up here!